Israeli man arrested smuggling lizards and snakes in his socks

In the footage provided, reptiles could be seen hidden inside his bag, inside a plastic box and even in his socks.

By TPS

A combined enforcement activity of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Director of Customs, the Nature and Parks Authority and the Intelligence Unit of the Border Police led to the capture of a young Israeli man in his 20s who returned to Israel from Hungary in illegal possession of three lizards and two snakes.

The enforcement was carried out a few days ago when the young man was caught by the inspectors of the Customs House of the Passengers Hall of Bulgaria, but the story was under embargo due to intelligence considerations.

In footage provided, reptiles could be seen hidden inside his bag, inside a plastic box and even in his socks.

According to the import regulations, anyone bringing an animal to Israel must present an import license from the veterinary services at the Ministry of Agriculture and a health certificate from a government veterinarian in the country of origin stating that the creature is healthy and meets the import requirements of the State of Israel.

In addition, since these are wild creatures, an official permit is required in advance for any import, trade and possession on behalf of the Nature and Parks Authority.

In this case, the suspect tried to smuggle the reptiles without meeting the legal requirements, which could have caused significant damage to public health and local nature, including other wildlife.

Legal proceedings will be initiated against the suspect.